EAA Sport Aviation - April 2010

Most students who feel they are ready to solo probably are. If a student is eager, and the instructor agrees, fine. But if the instructor is not ready to turn the student loose, there’s probably a good reason, and the two should discuss the situation to find out just what it is that the instructor thinks needs improvement.

In practice, most instructors will take the student up before any first solo and, whether it’s formally labeled a pre-solo checkride or not, review most of what the student ought to know before being turned loose. The ability to make decent landings is absolutely necessary, of course, but students do tend to focus on landings excessively, and most need to lighten up on the subject. There is more to flying than landings.

Are you ready? One test is for the
instructor to pull the power back to idle
and see how the student handles such a

There is a wonderful phrase often used in aviation’s theater of learning: Whatever the student does, it should be conducted “with the successful outcome of the maneuver never seriously in doubt.”

simulated engine-out. Another is for the instructor to put the airplane into an accelerated stall (the student ought to be able to recognize that condition by name) and then say, “You’ve got it,” and relinquish the controls.

If you do well on these and other maneuvers—and any good instructor will tell you how well you’re doing—you just might be told to go fly the airplane by yourself.

How well do you have to do? There
is a wonderful phrase often used in
aviation’s theater of learning:
Whatever the student does, it should
be conducted “with the successful
outcome of the maneuver never seri-
ously in doubt.”
Here’s how that works: Imagine that
you are the instructor. You’re in the right
seat. You pull the throttle to idle and sit
back to watch. If, instead of immediately
going to best-glide speed (which is the
standard procedure in most aircraft), the
student immediately cranks on flaps, or
hits the starter, or does anything other
than step one (for that specific airplane),
the successful outcome of an actual
forced landing would be in doubt. Or, if
the student takes care of the airplane in
the right way, but heads for a landing
area that is too small or can’t realistically
be reached, that also would leave the
successful outcome seriously in doubt.

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